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Wanda Jean Mays
Real Name: Wanda Jean Mays Nicknames: No known nicknames Location: Guntersville, Alabama Date: May 12, 1986 Bio Occupation: Secretary Date of Birth: August 19, 1959 Height: 5'8" Weight: 130 pounds Marital Status: Dating Characteristics: Caucasian female. Blond hair. Case Details: Twenty-six-year-old Wanda Jean Mays had suffered two anxiety attacks after she began dieting. She was overwhelmed with unknown fears and anxiety when she vanished on May 12, 1986, shortly after she began dieting again. The night before, she had dinner with her parents near Lake Guntersville, and they said that she seemed fine. When her father, Jim, walked her to her car, he felt that she wanted to tell him something, but she never did. At 8pm, on the way back to her apartment, she visited her aunt and uncle, Betty and Ty Dorman, who persuaded her to spend the night. At 7am the next morning, Betty awoke and knocked on Wanda's door, but received no answer. She woke up Ty and he was also unable to open it, so they had their grandson, John, kick it open. Inside the room, they found everything in disarray and the window broken. Ty ran down to the lake and saw Wanda's torn and bloody nightgown on the dock. They called the police and a search began for Wanda's body in the lake. Her family did not believe she drowned as she was an excellent swimmer. Later that day, an abandoned canoe was found with Wanda's blood in it. At 10am, homicide investigators came upon the scene, but they were unable to come up with a good explanation as to what had happened. When they investigated the room Wanda was in, they found that her bed had not been slept in, her clothes were neatly laid on a chair, and the window was clearly broken from the inside. What investigators could not determine was how everyone in the house could sleep through Wanda breaking through two panes of glass. Authorities believe that Wanda had another anxiety attack and ran away, got into the canoe, and then went to another side of the lake. They believe that she may have taken some clothes from a clothesline on the other side of the lake and wandered around the area. At around 10am, a witness saw a tall young girl walking along Route 62 not far from where Wanda had vanished. She was wearing baggy clothing, and looking as if she had just gone swimming. The next day at a convenience store in Huntsville, Alabama, thirty miles away, a girl matching Wanda's description was seen sitting in a car with two unidentified men, looking frightened. Ten minutes later, the witness saw her talking on a pay phone; the witness was convinced that that was Wanda. Authorities and Wanda's family are uncertain if she met with foul play or even if she is still alive. Suspects: None known; a woman matching Wanda's description was seen with two unidentified men shortly after her disappearance. Extra Notes: This case first aired on the May 25, 1987 episode. Results: Solved. In October 2003, skeletal remains were discovered in a wooded area off Cha-La-Kee Road in Guntersville. They were found below a 150-foot cliff, less than two miles from the Dorman home. In January 2008, DNA testing confirmed that they belonged to Wanda. Police do not suspect foul play in her case and have ruled her death an accident. They believe that due to her chemical imbalance, she had another panic attack sometime after midnight on the day she vanished. They believe that after breaking through the bedroom window, she ran away to the cliff where she fell to her death. Wanda's family has accepted the ruling and believes that her death was due to her chemical imbalance. Sadly, the Dormans passed away before learning of her fate. Links: * Wanda Jean Mays on Wikipedia * Where is Wanda Jean? * Mysteries success brings back a 2nd show * Search continues for Arab woman missing for 2 years * Human bones found near lakeside home * Skeletal remains belong to woman missing for 22 years * Missing woman died accidentally * Case of Guntersville Woman Who Disappeared 22 Years Ago Solved * Wanda Mays' brother talks to WAFF 48 News * Wanda Jean Mays on Find a Grave ---- Category:Alabama Category:1986 Category:Disappearances Category:Lost Identity Cases Category:Lake-Related Cases Category:Medical-Related Cases Category:Solved